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- Patented 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE MAX ENGELMANN Am) ronne'r J..FUNK, or wILnmeroN, DELAWARE, Assrenons r0 1:. I. no roN'r-nn unmouns a countr or WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A cozaronA- TION OF DELAWARE 2N0 Drawing.

-This invention relates to compositions comprising organic mercurials in a highly eflicacious physical form, and to processes of making such compositions. .Organic mercury compounds, which constitute perhaps the most effective seed disinfectants, fungicides, and insecticides, are; ordinarily 4 employed either in water solution as alkalimetal salts or in dust form. The great potency of these mercurials makes it advisable if they are to be used as. dusts, to dilute them with relatively inert materials or vehicles of alkaline or neutral reaction; and this is done as a rule by mixing the finely divided inert material with the mercury compound.

Our invention may be illustrated by the following example, but it will be understood that-the invention is not limtied to the details and conditions mentioned'therein 500 parts of hydrated limeare suspended in 2000 parts of water and a solution of 50 parts of mercury acetate is slowly added un der good agitation. The mercuric oxide formed by the hydrated lime is uniformly de osited on the surface of the lime partic es. parts of ortho-chlorophenol are put in and the suspension heated'to about 80 C. for five hours. The, ellowish color of the mercuric oxide slowly isappears due to the formation of the white ortho-chloro-phenol-mercury oxide which is converted to its calcium salt. The reaction is finished when .the addition of sodium sulphide to a. test sample fails to produce the black color of mercury sulphide. The residue is filtered oil and dried. The new compound contains about 6.7% of calciumsalt of the chlorophenol-mercury. These organic mercury compounds prepared in this way are stable in the resence of acetic acid. It adheres exceptionally well to seeds and foliage and gives in water a complete colloidal suspen- S1011. V I

The hydrated lime can be replaced by any other material which acts as an alkali of low solubility, for instance, magnesium oxide,

' calcium carbonate, aluminum oxide, barium carbonate, etc.; and instead of ortho-chlorophenol any other phenol, like cresol, napthol, negatively substituted phenols, etc., can

MERCURY-CONTAINING msmrnorANr nn rnocnss or mature sAnn Application filed. April 9, 1925. Serial No. 21,771.

be used. The proportion of organic mercurial to the vehicle can vary widely.

It will be evident from the procedure above described, that in the 'newdisinfectant composition the organic mercury compound exists mainly as a surface layer or coating on the individual particles constituting the inert vehicle, differing in thisrespect from the I ordinary mercury disinfectants in which particles of mercury compound are merely mingled with particles of the vehicle.

We claim;

1. A disinfecting composition comprising a finely divided solid vehicle taken from a group comprising the hydroxides, oxides and carbonates of the alkaline earth metals, associated with an organic mercury compound having disinfecting properties, and stable in the presence of acid, the mercury compound being present'mainly as a coating for minute partlcles'of said vehicle,

2. As a new disinfectin composition, a dust comprisin material ta en from a group including the iydroxides, oxides and carbonates of the alkaline earth metals, and an organic mercury compound having disinfectingl properties and stable in the presence of aci said mercury com ound being pres-V ent chiefly as a layer or eposit on minute particles of said material.

3. As a new disinfectin composition, a dust comprising material ta on from a group including the h droxides, oxides and carbonates of the a aline earth metals, and a mercuri-phenol compound, said mercury compound bein present chiefly as a layer or deposit on an having been synthesized in the presence of minute particles of said material. v

4. The process of making new seed disin fectants which comprises mixing a finely divided alkaline material taken from a cup including the hydroxides, oxides an earbonates of the alkaline earth metals with a solution of a mercury salt to form a deposit of mercuric oxide on the particles of alkaline material, and mixing the resulting suspension with a phenol compound at a temperature above C. to convert the mercuric oxide deposit into the corresponding phenolmercury oxide, and into a salt thereof, and then filtering oil and drying the alkaline material with its mercury compound coating.

5. The process of making new seed disinfectants containing organic 'mercury compounds deposited on a relatively inert solid vehicle, taken from a group including the hydroxides, oxides and carbonates of the alkaline earth metals, which comprises heating mercuric oxide with an hydroxy-derivative of an aromatic'hydrocarbon in thepresence of said inert vehicle.

6. The process of making seed disinfectants containing organic mercury com ounds' deposited on a solid vehicle, taken rom a a group including the hydroxides, oxides and carbonates of the alkaline earth metals, which comprises heating mercuric salts with an hydroxide derivative of an aromatic hy- 2n drocarbon in the presence of said vehicle.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures. I

.MAX ENGELMANN. -FOREST J. FUNK. 

